Vivekananda

The cyclone blew away the roof of his family hut, just like every other thatched roof in Gopalpur, and in its place a blue vinyl tarp was all that kept the rain out. And though there was much work to be done, like fixing leaks and procuring rice, Gopi still spent the day walking me through his hometown. We became friends. He introduced me to local fishermen and spiritedly explained that I wasn't there to distribute money, but to tell stories, and that maybe by telling these stories I could make a difference in the lives of people in Gopalpur. (I could only hope for the same.) I never ended up writing about him in the article, but without Gopi - and so many others like him - I wouldn't have had a story at all. (Vivekananda Nemana receives the award in the Human Rights & Environment category from Minister for Information & Broadcasting Prakash Javadekar. Photo by Khyati Gandhi.)

Yahoo Originals wins 3 RedInk Awards for Journalism

Three features published by Grist Media on Yahoo Originals won the Press Club Mumbai’s National RedInk Awards for Excellence in Journalism 2014. The ceremony was held at the National Centre for the Performing Arts’ Jamshed Bhabha Theatre in Mumbai on June 7.

The awards saw over 800 entries from 75 online and print publications. Thirty winners and runners-up were awarded in 15 categories of print and television awards for stories published in 2013. Each category carries an award of Rs 100,000, divided between the winner and the runner-up.

The RedInk Awards expanded this year to include new categories such as ‘Human Rights and Environment’, in which Yahoo Originals won two awards. Vivekananda Nemana’s feature on the massive evacuation conducted in Odisha during Cyclone Phailin, ‘The Great Escape’, won first prize, while Urmi Bhattacharjee’s story on rhinoceros poaching in Assam, ‘Inside Kaziranga’s One-Horned Dream’, was the joint runner-up. The jury for this category consisted of Yogesh Kamdar, Smruti Koppikar and Sachin Kalbag.

Jaimon Joseph’s story on Varanasi farmer JP Singh, ‘Why JP Singh is Every Indian Farmer’s Best Friend’ was the runner-up in the ‘Science & Innovation’ category. SK Malhotra, S Ramakrishnan and Lalitha Vaidyanathan formed the jury for this section.

Among those recognised on Saturday was the former Chairperson of Prasar Bharti Mrinal Pande, who received the RedInk award for ‘Lifetime Achievement’. Maharashtra Governor K Sankaranarayan was the chief guest, and Minister for Information & Broadcasting Prakash Javadekar was the guest of honour.

The Press Club Mumbai’s RedInk Awards, now in their fourth year, were instituted to promote writing of good quality, fair play and high ethical standards. The awards ceremony was attended by eminent journalists and citizens from across the country.